Chapter 151
Chapter 151
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 151
Chapter Title: You Picked the Wrong Person (2)
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The clear call of my name echoing through the mountains drew the gazes of everyone who had been holding their breath alongside me.
'…I can guess what they're all thinking.'
Given the situation, no one dared even use sound transmission, merely rolling their eyes.
'That man is looking for Young Master Eon.'
Jeong-hyeon's clear eyes seemed to ask what they should do.
'Yong-un?'
Zhuge Seolji appeared to be questioning how the snake-masked figure knew me.
And finally, Yong-myeong...
'…Big brother?'
Hm.
Scratch what I said about knowing what he was thinking.
'I have no idea what Yong-myeong is on about.'
His eyes brimmed with questions, so for a moment I thought he was asking if I'd crossed over to the youngest uncle's side like the maknae.
'But looking closer, that doesn't seem right either?'
In the midst of it all, a specific question came from my master's voice at my waist.
- Doesn't 'beloved guest' mean you're acquainted with Yong-un?
'…….'
- And that blood stench clinging to his soul is no joke. The old man who passed by earlier was one thing—age excuses that—but this snake-masked bastard hasn't even hit thirty, yet he's drenched in blood? How does Yong-un know such a fellow?
Unfortunately, I had no satisfying answers for those questions.
It was my first time seeing the guy in my life, so I had nothing to say in return.
'Who the hell is this?'
I narrowed my brow, trying to guess at the snake mask's identity.
'For him to know me in this situation means the previous Yong-un knew him. The only entanglement with the Demonic Cult at this point….'
Ever since I took over this body, there was only one incident tying the Pearl Eon Family to the Demonic Cult up to now.
'The thief who stole the Pearl Eon Family's manual?'
That was when it hit me.
As that thought flashed through my mind, the other side seemed frustrated by our silence.
"Doesn't my voice ring a bell? Well, you did get beat pretty badly that day."
With a click, he removed the snake mask and opened his mouth.
"Ah! Or maybe this will jog your memory?"
He exaggeratedly mimicked a servile voice, confirming my guess.
"Young master! Aren't you being too harsh? Have pity on this poor bookseller from Qinghai and spare some travel money! This humble Kwak begs you! Heh heh heh! I scratched you nice and easy, and you didn't even realize you'd been fleeced, getting all excited and upping the stakes—then you handed over your family's manual to boot!"
"……."
"No need to hide it anymore. I'll reveal myself: I'm Kwak Sa-hong, the youngest disciple of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's Monster King Division. You got taken by someone you couldn't handle, so don't feel too hard done by."
At the voice of the snake mask—no, Kwak Sa-hong.
The people who had questioned me moments ago now wore complicated expressions.
'…Y-Yong-un.'
'…B-Big brother?!'
'…That heaven-defying scum!'
- So that bastard's the one who got you kicked out of the Pearl Eon Family? No wonder you were just standing there listening to him flap his gums, uncharacteristically patient….
But inwardly, I was cheering.
And for good reason.
In truth, the matter of Eon Yong-un losing the Pearl Eon Family's manual to the Demonic Cult was a backstory event from the original novel's later arcs.
So all I knew was that the stolen manual ended up in Reverse Heaven Demon Gu Cheon-seo's hands.
I had no idea who the snake mask in front of me actually was.
'I vaguely figured it was some demon, but he just ID'd himself.'
Well, it wasn't incomprehensible.
No one would suspect the person's soul had changed.
The bastard must think the previous Yong-un and I are the same person.
And that guy? Even I thought he was a hopeless case.
'Kwak Sa-hong, who fleeced him directly, must see me as a total pushover.'
He might even be thinking of scamming me again.
'But you picked the wrong person.'
Behind us loomed the Yi clan's forces heading to settle scores.
In front, a demon had popped up, trapping us in a dilemma. I was pondering our options, but learning his identity cleared my head.
'Kwak Sa-hong. Third disciple of Reverse Heaven Demon, corpse manipulator.'
His abilities and mine were in a perfect superior-inferior relationship.
* * *
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ In the original story, Kwak Sa-hong made his full debut when Reverse Heaven Demon's corpse soldier legion began invading the Central Plains.
The corpse legion he led relentlessly harassed the Righteous Murim's allied forces, keeping them from sleeping at night, earning him considerable infamy.
'But purely in terms of martial prowess, he wasn't that overwhelming.'
He died to a joint attack from the protagonists' generation, after all.
That dead Kwak Sa-hong reappeared as a corpse soldier controlled by his own master, which etched his name and actions vividly in my memory.
'Of course, five of them ganged up back then, while we have four here.'
That was later in the timeline, and even given the same time, demonic arts grow internal energy and prowess much faster—but it was still worth a shot.
'Unlike the original, I'm here too.'
So I immediately decided on our advance or retreat.
'…Jeong-hyeon, Yong-myeong, Zhuge Seolji, and me. Four of us hit Kwak Sa-hong first.'
Before I could speak, Yong-myeong's eyes blazed.
"So it was you after all. All this time, big brother alone against these guys…."
No time to stop him—he bolted forward.
"You demonic scum!"
He unleashed a single fist strike toward Kwak Sa-hong.
"Today, I'll punish you severely and restore big brother's honor!"
Some misunderstanding there.
I was planning to attack anyway.
'Jeez. And in this moment, he's not even saying he'll kill the bastard—just punish him severely.'
But Eon Yong-myeong's action was clearly independent.
'This punk. Gonna have to discipline him later.'
Anyway.
Even if I planned to chew him out later, I couldn't just watch.
Kwak Sa-hong easily blocked Yong-myeong's bare-handed fist strike without drawing his sword.
Bam!!!
Then he smoothly drew his blade.
"Hm? The little brother?"
With sword drawn, Kwak Sa-hong launched a fierce assault on Yong-myeong.
"Thanks to me conning your brother, you inherited the Pearl Eon Family—you should bow toward the Ten Thousand Great Mountains every morning in gratitude. Why so angry?"
"Shut up!"
Meanwhile, Yong-myeong's head looked too hot.
'Gotta save him.'
I swiftly drew Regret and urged the others.
"Jeong-hyeon! Zhuge girl!"
At the same time, I executed Shadowless Heaven-Splitting Step and kicked off the ground.
At my call, Jeong-hyeon and Zhuge Seolji unleashed Cloud Soaring Step and White Crane Step, forming a triangular formation around me and closing the distance to Kwak Sa-hong in one breath.
Screeeeech!!!
Swords charging from three directions forced Kwak Sa-hong's blade into pure defense.
Clang! Clang clang!!
Confirming Kwak Sa-hong on the back foot, I abruptly changed direction and grabbed Yong-myeong by the scruff.
Clang!
Screeeeech!!
Meanwhile, Kwak Sa-hong parried Jeong-hyeon and Zhuge Seolji's swords, then paused his blade with feigned leisure.
"Whoa. You're really Eon Yong-un? They said you'd made great strides, and your aura's dazzlingly changed."
He smirked, retreating a few steps toward the ridge he'd descended like he was on a stroll.
"I don't want compliments from scum like you."
Taking advantage of the brief lull to snap at the smirking Kwak Sa-hong, I immediately backhanded Yong-myeong's cheek.
Slap—
And spat one line.
"Get your head straight, Eon Yong-myeong."
"……!"
As Yong-myeong's eyes snapped wide.
Kwak Sa-hong shook his head pityingly, clicking his tongue as he stepped forward.
"You, your two brothers, and two friends? Tsk tsk tsk. Think four of you with some sense can take me? Don't be fools—I'll give you a chance, so grab it, Eon Yong-un. You gifted me the Pearl Eon Family's manual, so I'll repay the favor."
"What kind of chance?"
"Join the Divine Cult. Ally with me, take out those guys beside you—shake off that shallow friendship from barely knowing each other and come to my side. Whatever minor fortuitous encounter you got, you're thriving... most pathetic dorm at Righteous Martial Academy, but vice president now, flying high…."
No need to hear more.
'Master, this bastard calls your teaching a minor fortuitous encounter.'
- Though called Sword Demon, I had my own path. For a rootless punk like him to claim my legacy—if I had my body, I'd crush him myself.
I exchanged thoughts with master briefly.
"Use your position to help us from inside. At Ten Thousand Great Mountains, skills incomparable to what you gained…."
As Kwak Sa-hong's words trailed off.
I picked my ear and opened my mouth.
"If you're so great, why hole up at the edge of Qinghai, way over on the left of the map?"
"……?"
No more words needed.
"They say rice at Ten Thousand Great Mountains tastes like sand?"
With just those two lines.
"Ha? Hahaha! Eon Yong-un, forgotten the day you got beaten to a pulp right before dying?"
Kwak Sa-hong thrust his sword again.
"I'll remind you of that day. Let's see if you can still yap after!"
His fiercely extended sword seemed intent on cleaving me in one stroke.
Screeeeech!!!
Feints and killing blows mixed exquisitely, flying sharply.
But after properly exchanging one clash with me, that ferocity turned to bewilderment.
Clang!!!
"…Cult Leader's Heavenly Demon Sword Arts?"
I knew where his surprise came from.
"…Or not?"
No reason to confirm it for him.
Regardless, I unleashed Heaven-Splitting Sword forms, stirring a torrent of sword strikes.
Clang! Clang clang!!
Jeong-hyeon joined, scattering blue sword qi, solidly holding one flank to keep my sword torrent unbroken.
Clang! Clang clang clang!
The gaps from us being inferior to Kwak Sa-hong.
Zhuge Seolji filled them with thrusts perfectly placed, as if made for "right on the spot," with her Wyrm Dragon Sword.
Screech!
Clang!!
And here, Yong-myeong finally got his act together and pulled his weight.
Screech!
Boom!!
For a fist master like Yong-myeong, nullifying a swordsman's attacks and closing to extreme close range was the challenge.
With me, Jeong-hyeon, and Zhuge Seolji neutralizing Kwak Sa-hong's offense.
He erupted like lightning in a monsoon, unleashing fist barrages.
Boom!! Boom!!!!
Kaboom! Boom!!!
At first casually retreating like on a walk, Kwak Sa-hong's steps now busied unprecedentedly.
Thus, their back-and-forth reached the point where the Taewon Yi clan's ancestral hall stood on the ridge.
Biting his lip, Kwak Sa-hong wrapped his sword in qi far denser than what clung to Regret, slashing greatly toward us.
Screeeeech!!!
Nearly sword beam in power, but he hadn't mastered wielding that qi yet.
A single-shot form that couldn't chain.
And a straightforward horizontal slash without feints.
"Dodge!"
We could evade at my shout.
Including me, everyone just had their clothes nicked—no injuries.
- Why waste energy on such pointless flair?
With that time bought—what master called pointless—Kwak Sa-hong pulled something dice-like from his sleeve and crushed it.
Crack—
From it emerged a crimson bead on a string, tinkling out.
Kwak Sa-hong wrapped it around his left wrist and began shaking it rhythmically.
Tinkle— tinkle—
Tinkle tinkle—
Suddenly, bangs! bangs! sounded from the ancestral hall behind him, like coffins being kicked open.
Bang!!!!!!!!!!!!
The hall's doors burst open, and corpse soldiers leaped out.